Stellar Interloper
by sgridley24
Summary: A/U. Embark upon a transforming journey across the universe. A story of war and of love. An experience that brings together romance, drama, adventure and spectacle. I spell Goku as "Gokou," because that's what I prefer. Please don't make an issue.
1. Ch1 Beginnings

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**Stellar Interloper**

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DISCLAIMER: This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE fanfic. I am only using the NAMES of characters; I am not using the stories given to them in the series they were featured. This story will utilize characters from Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, but their lives and their personalities differ from the characters in the actual series. If you have a problem with it, then don't read.

Also, I don't own rights to any of the characters created in either series (as far as their names). In fact, I encourage you to take the time to watch/read both series.

:-) Thank you!

Pronunciation guide: (As I perceive them.)

_**Lita Kino**_: "leeta" :key no"

_**Makoto**_: "ma koe toe"

_**Gokou**_: "go ku"

_**Vegeta**_: "ve jee ta"

_**Saiya-jin**_: "sa" ("sa" as in "sand") "yan" ("an" as in "and"), OR, "sai yah jeen"

Dictionary:

_**Stellar**_: Of or pertaining to stars; astral; as, a stellar figure; stellary orbs.

_**Interloper**_: To intrude into some region or field of trade without a proper license; to thrust oneself into the affairs of others.

_**Triangulum Galaxy: **_(also known as Messier 33 or NGC 598) A spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light-years away in the constellation Triangulum. The galaxy is also sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy by some

amateur astronomy references and in some public outreach websites.

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**Chapter 1 – Beginnings**

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"Miss Kino... What is a light-year?" A tiny voice inquired, wide eyes looking on innocently.

The teacher, slightly stunned by this question, turned on her heels from the chalkboard to answer thoughtfully, the chalk poised near her chin as she determined how to best answer her student.

"Well..." She set the chalk down and moved to the globe that sat on the corner of her desk, delicate hands resting on either side of the object. "A light-year is a measure of distance for space. Instead of using a ruler, scientists had to find a new way to measure distance because things in space are so, so far away from us. A light-year is longer than the distance around the entire Earth!" And for dramatics, she gave the globe a spin.

She tried her best to not complicate the answer for her students, knowing too well that such a question wasn't quite appropriate for kindergartners. However, the question did cause her to consider taking her class on a field trip to the planetarium.

At the thought, pink lips, coated faintly with shimmer lip-gloss, curved into a satisfied smile. Lita Kino was a newly settled elementary school teacher of only twenty-two. She typically tied up her chestnut curls in a neat, full ponytail, highlighting the soft angles of her cheekbones and forest green eyes. But today she had let her curls loose, waves of auburn spilling over her shoulders gracefully.

Lita had always been interested in outer space, finding it to be the only place of mystery left in her world. Little did she know, in the near future some of the mysteries of outer space would soon be revealed to her...

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Many light-years from Lita, three million, to be exact, in the northern corner of the Triangulum Galaxy, revolved a planet of the name Vegeta. It was a small planet in size, smaller than Earth, in fact, whose inhabitants were known as savage warriors. They had incurred a reputation throughout the galaxies that evoked both fear and respect from all, literally becoming the Spartans of the universe.

They were called Saiya-jins.

Saiya-jins looked Herculean in the least, their bodies covered in muscles from head to toe. Although their anatomy appeared to be like that of a human's--only taller and sturdier--they were blessed with abilities that humans could only dream of, as well as an extra appendage in the form of a monkey tail. In this tail rested the source of all their powers, and consequently, all their pride.

Planet Vegeta's society functioned on a class-based hierarchy of warriors. The elite, the second class, and the third class, and all of these classes answer to the General. As one would expect in a society of warriors, the General was always the most powerful Saiyajin. In the case of this story, the General's power and abilities were legendary. The tale of his past and how he came to be is another story in itself, but one must know he passed many trials and tribulations to get into his current position, reigning as the first and only third-class warrior to ever become General.

His name was Gokou.

Gokou was a tall, sturdy Saiya-jin of twenty-four years of age, with fine dark eyes and hair as black as ebony sprouting atop his head in a mass of wild, unruly spikes. Besides his commanding size and presence, his whole manner emitted an aura of calm resolution reserved for only those who, from their childhood, have been accustomed to face great dangers and losses. All of this was accented by the deep scar etched across his left cheek; a mark which only those who know about the impermeability of Saiya-jin flesh would understand its great significance.

The Saiya-jin uniform consisted of a special spandex material that functioned as under-armor, worn from neck to ankle. Over top this, was a stretchy layer of torso armor, gloves, and boots. According to classes, the color of the under-armor changed. In this case, Gokou wore black, the color designated only for the General. The armor hugged his muscled form, leaving no dip or curve of his body to the imagination. At the moment, the General was observing from a window a class of young Saiyajins in training, around the ages of four to six. His sable hues lingered on a boy who had surprisingly identical hair to his own, watching closely every punch and kick made by the youth.

The boy was none other than the General's own flesh and blood. His name was Gohan, and he was only four and a half years old. He had recently begun his training courses after successfully surviving the rite of passage into Saiyajin society. The General spent many hours training his son, treasuring every hour they had together.

A blue light soon went off in the room, accompanied by a loud alarm to signal the end of class. Gokou took a couple steps back from the window to let the students shuffle past him down the hallway, his tail flicking behind him absently as he awaited his son.

The miniature Saiya-jin's tail squirmed behind him in excitement as class concluded, knowing that he could finally see his father. Once the alarm went off, Gohan made a straightaway for the door, wide eyes searching eagerly for his father. For a split second, disappointment began to well up in his charcoal pools, until a yank on his tail lifted him off the ground.

The General had spotted his son and instantly moved behind him to grab Gohan by the tail and playfully lift him up in the air. This gesture produced an outburst of tiny laughter from his son, who struggled as he dangled in the air to latch onto his father, small arms stretching out towards Gokou's chest. The General appeased his son by moving him close enough that Gohan could attach himself to Gokou's torso, and a strong arm moved up to hold his son to his chest.

"You ready to go home and get some food?" He inquired of his son, a faint grin growing on his chiseled features.

Gohan nodded eagerly, burying his face against his father's chest, little hands clinging tightly onto the man he wished to be someday.

Gokou made his way down the hall, pressing the password into the keypad which opened the door to their room. Inside, lying on the bed, propped up by a stack of pillows and sheets, was a female Saiya-jin who looked strikingly like Miss Kino. In fact, one could say they might be sisters, or twins, for that matter—save the brown tail that swayed to and fro next to her. Her name was not Lita, however, it was Makoto, and she had no relation to Miss Kino on Earth, it was simply an unexplained phenomenon of duplicity. Makoto's hands were propped upon her belly, which was full and round with child.

Unlike the customs on Earth, the customs on Vegeta did not include marriage or any sort of union between males and females. Instead, each time the season rolled around, the males would choose to be mates with a particular female. Gokou chose Makoto twice in a row, mostly because being the General consumed most of his attentions and priorities, so there wasn't time to search for a different mate each season. If a baby boy were born, it would be sent off in order to master the rite of passage and hopefully return by the age of three or four. Upon the return, the child would be taken in by the father and trained until ready to serve in the military.

The day that Gohan returned was one of the single most significant days in Gokou's life. The General simply couldn't explain the pride that had welled up in his chest when he witnessed his son emerging from the small spacecraft, being presented with a badge of admittance into the Saiyajin army.

Gokou's eyes slipped downwards for a moment to Gohan, who was still clinging to his chest. Two large hands reached and plucked Gohan off, lifting and placing his son on his shoulders. The young Saiya-jin's hands instantly dove into his father's hair, tiny fingers grabbing onto thick handfuls of black spikes whilst his legs dangled to and fro over his father's shoulders.

"I don't suppose you left any food for us…" Gokou commented to Makoto, his eyes looking past her to the messy kitchen. It seemed apparent from crumbs and remnants of food on the table that his mate had indulged herself while waiting for them to return home.

"What do you think?" was the feisty reply from pregnant Saiya-jin.

The General had figured as much. He spoke then to his son, eyes glancing upwards. "What do you say we take a trip to the cafeteria, Gohan? I'm starving."

Gohan's head bobbed in a series of eager nods, his tail beginning to twist and curl behind him in excitement. His favorite part of the day was the part spent with his father. He nestled his face into Gokou's hair, the smell of his father always feeling like home.

The General glanced to his mate, ebony hues settling on her reclined form. He momentarily debated saying a brief goodbye, but decided against it when she shot him an irritated glare. With that, Gokou and Gohan departed together, excited for the opportunity to satisfy their oversized Saiya-jin appetites…

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"Please relax and sit back everyone. Today we will be taking you on an enchanting trip through space and time, far beyond the night sky you are all familiar with. We will be exploring the hypersonic impacts that drive the continuing evolution of the Universe, from catastrophic planetary impacts and the merging of massive galaxies! Even unexplained planetary explosions and the cause of vacuums in space! On behalf of the Deep Space Planetarium, I present 'Celestial Collisions!'"

_Finally_, Lita thought silently to herself as she watched the guide disappear into the back and the video began playing.

In hopes of scheduling a field trip to the planetarium, Lita had decided to take her own excursion there and watch some of the documentaries currently being featured. This next one was not suitable for children, but it sounded very interesting to her.

The giant theatre screen soon appeared to be launching the audience through space; the camera zipping past stars with ease. It slowed down and the narrator of the movie began speaking, though Lita was far too mesmerized by the imagery to give her full attention to his words.

When the film began to explain about the mysteries of space, the screen showed footage of a bright, white line of light shooting across the vast blackness of space, seeming to cut through an entire planet. The source of the light was not visible, and directly after this light sliced through the planet, it exploded. The narrator of the film explained that scientists currently have no explanation for the explosion of this planet and many others in this particular section of the galaxy. The planets were terminated long before the end of their physical lifecycles, and there was no evidence of celestial collisions or storms that could have shortened their lifespan.

The narrator continued, "Scientists are searching for answers to this deep space mystery in hopes they can discover the cause before such a thing happens to our beloved Earth."

A trail of goose bumps made its way down Lita's forearms at the latter statement. _Well, they better be trying! _ She felt a knot form in her stomach. Glancing at her watch, she decided it was time to go—she desperately craved fresh air.

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The General and his son, tails swaying behind, were busy devouring platefuls of meat and strange vegetables, tearing the venison voraciously from the bones, juices drizzling down their chins. From time to time there would be a pause, to swallow or catch their breath, until minutes later both Saiya-jins, father and son, had consumed enough food to fill at least twenty full-grown humans.

The General's eyes drifted across the scraps left on the table, a hand moving to rest atop Gohan's head. "Full?"

Gohan nodded quickly, a smile spreading across his features as his eyes slipped up to gaze at his father. Sometimes he wondered about his dad's past, unable to ignore the evidence of an incredible history churning in the depths of his father's lucid hues. He knew the General had lived and fought in more than one war, and somehow he'd acquired the respect of every Saiya-jin on the planet. He knew the General was a great, great man, physically powerful beyond all belief. He knew the General was dedicated, strong, and had a reason for everything he did. And he knew every time he looked up at his father's face, that he was the luckiest boy on all of Vegeta.

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Inhaling deeply, Lita let the cool, fresh air fill her lungs and soothe her nerves. She tried not to think on the words of the narrator anymore, but it was almost impossible. Her gaze lifted towards the skies. They were beautiful. Clear and blue, sparsely speckled with clouds drifting by so leisurely. She was envious of those clouds today, looking so peaceful in their flight. What would the future hold for Earth?

Lita lowered her head suddenly, her thin browns wrinkling in a frown. _What… is this?_ A hand lifted to rest over her temple. _Why do I feel like…something terrible is happening? _She shook her head side to side, trying to rid herself of the heavy feeling that so suddenly overcame her. It was a feeling of sorrow, of grief, and great loss. Her hand slipped from her head to rest above her heart, her eyes fixating once more upon the blue skies. _I can feel your pain._ Lids fell shut over her dark green hues. She'd felt this sadness once before in her life, a sadness that was not of her own, but someone else's. She couldn't really explain, but she knew somewhere, at this very moment, someone was suffering greatly and her heart went out to him or her…


	2. Ch2 Bardock

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**Chapter 2 – Bardock**

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"Gohan! You must remember to block! Defense is just as important as offense!" The General's hand filled up with a white ball of energy, something Saiya-jins refer to as "ki-blasts." These blasts of energy are not only deadly, but if used properly, can become large enough streams to actually cut through anything—at any range of distance. Gokou currently held a melon-sized ball of ki in his palm, preparing to throw it at his son.

After dinner, both Saiya-jins had retired to the training room, eager for this part of the day. With tousled hair, Gohan beamed across the room at his father, his feet widening as he assumed a defensive pose. The joy vanished from his expression as he focused on blocking the barrage of attacks his father was about to unleash. His love for training was a result of the General's own profound passion for the activity, his father's deep-rooted fervor seeming to have rubbed off.

Gohan's forearms lifted defensively as the torrent of ki-blasts streamed towards him, using his own ki to deflect these blasts, eyes closing tightly as he planted his feet into the ground. His father was not only building his son's defensive tactics, but he was toughening up Gohan's pain tolerance. Gohan remembered when he first began training the ki-blasts actually stung, but now they didn't sting at all. Blinking past his lifted arms, Gohan saw his father gathering up energy in both palms this time, preparing to fire a stream of ki as opposed to the small blasts from before.

He knew what this meant.

As the General pushed his palms forward, a white stream of ki burst forth at a speed faster than any human could dodge. Gohan sidestepped the stream and leapt forward across the room in flight, charging his father. Just as his fists were about to make contact with his father's face, something that felt like a large stone was driven into Gohan's gut and he flew backwards across the distance of the room, slamming against the wall. He grimaced, rubbing his side and peering with squinted eyes across the room at the source of his backward flight. It was his father's fist, clenched into a tight ball of steel. His eyes slipped past the fist and up to the General's face, where a warm expression of approval awaited his son's eyes.

"Well done, Gohan."

The pain in his abdomen instantly vanished, and the small Saiya-jin's tail curled up behind him in delight, his father's approval meant the world to him.

The General made his way across the room towards his son, squatting down in front of the four-year old so they were eye-to-eye. "I think that's good for today, yeah?" Gokou's head tilted to the side a bit as a thumb reached up to rub some dirt from his son's cheek.

Gohan nodded to his father's question and scooted forward into those large arms—his sanctuary.

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The strange feeling in her chest had not subsided since she left the planetarium, and Lita found it very peculiar for this feeling to have lasted this long. The entire drive home was a blur, and now she sat at her desk, gazing at some drawings her students had made for her. She slid her index finger along the crayon line of a tree, slowly tracing its contour. Her chest felt so heavy. She contemplated sleep. It might actually do her some good to shake this terrible feeling by getting some shut-eye.

She pushed her chair back and stood up, tucking some curls behind her ear, determined to rid herself of this terrible omen that had seemed to settle in her mental horizon. She padded down the hallway in her slippers towards the shower. Shower first, then sleep.

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"Dad…?" Gohan pulled his head back from his father's chest to permit himself a gaze up at his father's stalwart visage. "How did…" he paused, dark hues slipping downwards to Gokou's cheek. "How did you get your…scar?"

The General's head tilted downwards to look upon his son's face, his body shifting to sit on the floor of the training room, Gohan still in his arms. "I got this mark when I was just one year older than you, on my first mission."

Gohan's eyes widened in amazement; it must have hurt, he contemplated honestly.

"Mmn…Don't worry, son. You won't be going on a mission like I did. They had it out for your grandfather and me back then, you know. This scar was the least of my worries…" Gokou's mind began reeling, memories of his father and his past slipping into focus. He decided now was as good a time as any to tell his son about his past. "The first thing I really remember is coming home to accept my rite of passage…"

*********************************Flashback*************************************

Warily, the young Saiya-jin of four years stepped out from his spaceship, his scraped and bruised form looking like many of the other young Saiya-jins who were also in the landing room. His tail instinctively coiled around his waist, a forearm lifting to rub under his nose as he gazed on towards the door of this foreign room. _Do…we go through the door?_ He thought to himself, noticing for the first time the different colored armors of all these kids compared to his own. His was a deep green color, and some of theirs were navy blue or scarlet. He didn't understand.

Just as Gokou was beginning to realize this distinction, the door to the landing room slid open, a giant Saiya-jin male bursting through its frame. He felt his stomach sink and tighten as his eyes fell upon this ogre of a Saiya-jin.

"Get in line! Red, Blue, Green!" The giant barked these orders at them, his voice filling the silent room. "You will be presented with your medals, and then proceed to your fathers. They are waiting for you outside. Use your nose to figure out which one is your father."

Gokou blinked, a small hand reaching up to his nose to rub it. Would his nose really know which one was his father? He lined up accordingly, finding soon that he was one of three "green" armored Saiya-jins in the group. The rest were blue or red. His tail swished anxiously behind him as he waited for the line to proceed through the door, wondering what his home planet looked like. The recordings in his ship had told him many stories about Vegeta, but this was the first time he was actually stepping foot on his home planet. He paused to adjust the scouter that covered his eye.

Saiya-jins were technologically savvy creatures. They created devices for almost anything one could imagine or need. The ships served as not only transportation, but also moving computers of knowledge. And the scouters, which were devices they wore on their ears with a screen covering one eye, revealed to them any statistics, facts, and energy levels they needed about their current surroundings—including creatures, plant-life, and atmosphere. These scouters also functioned as communicators from Saiya-jin to Saiya-jin. And lastly, they were educational tools. Scouters were capable of installing any language of any planet into a Saiya-jin's memory with one bright flash. Saiya-jins were not only strong, but also very intelligent. They never traveled to a planet without having the ability of understanding the geography and the spoken language.

As the line of young Saiya-jins filed out the doorway, a small crowd of adult Saiya-jins greeted them, staring on with what seemed to be very forbidding expressions. Gokou's eyes scanned the crowd of them, his nose wriggling as he searched for the one who smelled most familiar. He also looked at the colors they wore, noting there were only three sporting dark green.

Gokou's eyes examined each of them, his nose seeming to lead him towards the one Saiya-jin who looked the most terrifying of all. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, anxiety causing his stomach to turn. This towering Saiya-jin had a hard, icy stare, his arms folded neatly and tightly over the expanse of his large chest. He wore a blood-red bandana around his forehead, and a long scar cut across the length of his right cheek in the form of an "x." Gokou slowly began mustering up as much courage as a four-year old Saiya-jin could, and padded in the direction of this man.

The elder Saiya-jin's eyes fell down upon Gokou as he approached, his posture like stone. His name was Bardock, and indeed, he was Gokou's father. One brow lifted suspiciously at the child, nose also wriggling for a moment to take in the scent of this boy, wanting to affirm their blood relationship. Once Gokou was close enough, Bardock couldn't deny their striking resemblance. This was his son.

"What's your name?" He spoke louder than he had planned, noticing the boy twitching slightly at the question.

Gokou was startled by the abruptness of the inquiry, but figured by the adult asking such a thing, he had been right; this was his father. "Gokou." He blinked up at Bardock, wondering why his father had to be the scariest looking of everyone.

"Gokou, eh? Well I'm Bardock. I guess you're my son and what-not…sooo~ let's go back to our room…and stuff." Eloquence was not one of Bardock's gifts, nor was fathering. For such a giant man, he felt very awkward with this little boy trailing behind him, not really sure what he was supposed to do with him—or say to him.

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"Your dad had a scar too?" Gohan's head tilted to the side curiously, his tail winding about behind him.

Gokou nodded with a grin. "Heh, he sure did. His was on the other cheek, though, and a lot bigger." He gently ran a hand over Gohan's head, watching the wiry black strands slip between his digits.

Gohan gave his dad's spandex sleeve a tug. "More!"

The General chuckled and nodded.

*********************************Flashback cont.*************************************

Bardock had showed his son the room they would be sharing, including the single bed and the single shower. He muttered something about the Third-class never getting anything and how the Elite are full of "B.S.," which Gokou didn't understand. Then, he'd flopped down onto the bed with a grunt and passed out.

Gokou stood at the foot of the bed, feeling so odd in the new and unfamiliar surroundings. He watched his father sleep in the darkness for a long time before actually crawling onto the bed himself. He curled up in a lonely ball, letting slumber whisk him away from this strange place.

Morning came with the sound of an alarm beeping very loudly and then an even louder crash, the noise of metal and plastic being smashed silencing the beeps. Gokou had shot up in the bed, eyes wide in disorientation, looking for what had happened. His eyes fell upon the demolished remains of the alarm clock beneath his father's large palm. Bardock was _not_ a morning person.

The elder Saiya-jin groaned into his pillow, mumbling some as he dragged himself groggily out of bed. He rubbed his face roughly with his hands, trying to rub away the drowsiness still hanging over him. Dark hues shifted to the end of the bed where little Gokou sat. "Ah shit," he mumbled. He'd forgotten completely about his new miniature roommate. "Mhmm…let's go…shower."

Bardock reached out and picked up Gokou by the tail, carrying him into the shower with him. He was unknowingly a bit rough with Gokou, scrubbing shampoo into his son's thick mane hair before doing the same with his own. Once the shower was done, he dropped a towel on top of Gokou's head. "Dry off and get dressed for training. You've got your first class in twenty minutes."

Gokou pulled the towel off his head, blinking as his father disappeared into the bedroom. He quickly dried and dressed himself, emerging cautiously from the bathroom, eyes settling on Bardock. His father motioned for him to follow. Gokou scurried after him, anxious for his first day of training.


	3. Ch3 Rage

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**Chapter 3 – Rage**

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Throughout Bardock's lifetime on Vegeta, he had created quite the reputation for himself. He was outspoken and blunt, and had no respect for the Elite—who at this time in Vegeta's history, were governed by a horrible General that had caused a severe split between classes. Almost a day didn't pass where there wasn't a spat or fight between Bardock and some upper class Saiya-jin. He had more write-ups than any other Saiya-jin on record. But despite all of this, there were certain things Bardock stood for, and these included his comrades (of third-class orientation), his beliefs, and his own Saiya-jin pride. He was always waiting for the current General, Hito, to be overthrown so the planet wouldn't remain so divided. The negative feelings towards Bardock by the Elite were easily transferred to his son, Gokou. And both would soon learn that the only way to survive during the inhumane ruling of the Elite would be sticking together.

The class that Gokou was attending, unfortunately, had an Elite as the instructor, and his name was Nappa. Nappa's appearance was like that of a giant, muscular troll. He towered over all the children and most Saiya-jin adults. He was missing a couple teeth and there was a single sprout of red hair growing atop his head much like a radish bulb. His size and brute strength alone, however, was enough to strike fear in the young Saiya-jins—although there wasn't much going on upstairs in old Nappa's cranium.

Nappa began barking orders at the children, his voice loud and lethargic. He told the kids to pair off and the person chosen as their partner would be the one they sparred with today, and he told them to make it quick.

Gokou surveyed his classmates, sable hues drifting from student to student. Most of them wore navy blue armor, which was the color of the Elite, and there were a couple with the scarlet armor, which was indicative of second-class, but Gokou was the only one wearing green. He was the only third-class student. Each time Gokou took a step towards one of the other students to attempt to be their partners, they would move away from him as if he had some disease. A small furrow formed on Gokou's brow, his little fists clenching in frustration. _He had to get a partner! Didn't they hear?_ He stepped towards another child, they moved. Again. They moved.

As the frustration continued to mount, Gokou finally burst out with a little shout, "HEY!"

The room fell silent.

Nappa's head jerked towards Gokou with an ugly scowl. "Is there a problem, runt?" He trotted loudly over towards Gokou, glaring downwards at the three-foot tall Saiya-jin. "Third-class punk can't do somethin' as easy as finding a sparring partner? Huh?"

A frown of disapproval formed on Gokou's face, and he shot a glare up at Nappa. It was _clearly_ not the case. "No. That's not it. It's becau----"

"It's because nobody wants to be partners with low class looosers~! Especially if your dad is Bardock!" A sassy child cut Gokou short. This boy was General Hito's son, Kazu, and he sported black armor just like his father.

Gokou wasn't aware of the boy's status, he only knew that he didn't appreciate the interjection, especially the part about his father. He'd only met Bardock, but he didn't seem like a loser…not to him. His blood began boiling and within a split second Gokou had leapt across the room and tackled Kazu to the floor, landing punch after punch into the boy's face. "Take it back!!!"

Although Nappa found children fighting to be very amusing, he couldn't let the General's kid get beat up, so he moved over and yanked Gokou off of Kazu, letting the boy dangle from his grasp. "We got ourselves a tough guy here, class. This kid has an attitude just like his low-life father."

The "father" remarks were really beginning to crawl under Gokou's skin, and when Nappa spat another one in his face, Gokou, dangling in the air, growled and swung a leg at the instructor, his foot connecting forcefully with Nappa's jaw. The impact of this kick knocked Nappa off his feet, a tooth flying across the room. The instructor's head jerked forward with a twisted grimace of pain.

"What the hell?! You little piece of third class trash!" he yelled at young Gokou, a vein bulging on his forehead. "I'll teach you to disrespect your superiors!" And with that, Nappa flung Gokou like a bullet into the wall, the little Saiya-jin's body cracking the cement upon impact. Gokou's body fell to the floor with a thump, and before he could stagger to his feet, a large foot was rammed into his side, the snapping of bones echoing through the room. Nappa gave Gokou's side another kick, and another, and another, feeling satisfied only when he saw the first signs of blood trickle out from the child's mouth.

Overwhelmed with pain, Gokou curled into a ball, protecting his ribcage from any more broken bones. He swallowed back the blood he had begun to taste, consciousness flickering in and out.

"Heh, heh, heh…" Nappa smirked, looking upon Gokou triumphantly. "Worthless excuse for a Saiya-jin…" He added, turning his back on Gokou to walk back to the rest of the students.

_Worthless excuse for a Saiya-jin?_ Those words…those last words…they echoed in Gokou's mind as he struggled to stay awake, something beginning to swell inside his chest. It was dark and warm, and it seemed to be feeding his body.

It was rage. Saiya-jin rage.

Pure and fresh, this rage numbed Gokou's pain, giving him fuel to rise to his feet. Gritting his teeth, the young Saiya-jin glared coldly at Nappa's back, hands becoming tight fists. Taking in a deep breath, Gokou broke into a sprint, leaping through the air and tackling Nappa to the floor from behind, teeth clamping down on one of Nappa's ears while hands and feet dug deep into the instructor's body.

Nappa was startled by this attack, yelling out in pain as he felt his ear being bitten in half. "YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" He snarled, a hand reaching up to rip Gokou from his back and fling the boy across the room into another wall. This time, when Gokou hit the wall and fell to the floor, he didn't get up. He didn't even move.

Infuriated, Nappa hissed an order at the children, "Class is dismissed!!" A hand went up afterwards to cup his bleeding ear, a malevolent expression consuming his face.

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After Bardock's training session had concluded, he veered away from the rest of the group, wanting to go see how his son was fairing at his first day of training. He sauntered down the hallway, rounding the corner with a grin. However, this grin vanished instantly when he was almost knocked off his feet by a crowd of young boys rushing past him out of the training room.

"Hey! Watch it! You little----" he stopped himself, realizing that the kids who had just passed him were Gokou's classmates and Gokou hadn't been in the group. "…the hell?"

Skeptically, Bardock began nearing the door to the training room, dark pools peering inside. He saw Nappa, tending to what looked like a nasty wound on his ear…and then…in the corner of the room, lifeless, laid his son. As if someone had flicked a switch, Bardock was consumed with fury, his energy level rising as fast as his blood began boiling.

"What the FUCK did you do to my son?!" He shouted across the room to Nappa, clenched fists trembling from anger. The rage was blinding for Bardock. He didn't even care if Nappa was an Elite, he was going to tear him apart.

Nappa's head spun to look at Bardock, amusement covering his face. "Well, Bardock, your son has quite the mouth on him. Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, eh?" He took a jab at Bardock, as all Elite did. "I simply taught him a lesson about respect."

"The hell you did! He's a fucking four year old, you sick bastard!!" Veins began bulging in Bardock's neck as he struggled to maintain what little composure he had left. He couldn't emphasize the age of his son enough. It simply baffled him that Nappa had beaten up a child near death for punishment, rather than disciplining him through use of limited force.

"I'm gonna rip you a new one, Nappa." He growled. "First, by finishing what my FOUR YEAR OLD son started!!!" Bardock sailed across the room, a raised fist planting itself like a sledgehammer into Nappa's bloody ear.

Nappa crumbled from the pain, falling to his knees with a ringing ear. "I'm gonna…." He took a swing at Bardock, who easily evaded the attack.

Bardock, instead, caught the arm intended to punch him and began twisting it around until he dislocated Nappa's shoulder with a loud snap. "How's that feel, Nappa? Hm? Good? You want some more?" He twisted the arm further, watching Nappa's mouth widen as he yelled out in pain. Bardock finally let up, knowing if he didn't hurry it up, more Elite would arrive to back-up Nappa. He didn't have time for a brawl; he needed to tend to his son.

He shoved Nappa over and quickly made his way over to Gokou. His heart sank when he saw the little four-year olds bruised form. Bardock knelt down, gently scooping up Gokou into his arms. Inwardly, he wondered if he had somehow brought this horrible fate to his son. Shaking away the thought, Bardock left the training room. He would first take Gokou to the infirmary, and then to their room. He held Gokou close to his chest, realizing for the first time that this boy—his son—was the missing piece in his life. He was the hope for something better at the end of the day, and Bardock couldn't let him die. Clutching his son, he sprinted down the hallway and out of the building.


End file.
